This article is about former Chief Minister of Indian state of Karnataka. For other uses, see Kumaraswamy (disambiguation).
Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy (Kannada: ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ. ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ) (born December 16, 1959) was Chief Minister of the state of Karnataka, India from February 4, 2006 to October 9, 2007. He is one of the sons of former Prime Minister of India H. D. Deve Gowda. Popularly known as "KumarAnna" (Kumar, the name and anna in Kannada means elder brother) among his friends and followers, was a noted film producer, distributor and exhibitor in the Kannada film industry. He owns a cinema theater at his home town Holenarasipura. He finished his high school studies in Bangalore's MES Educational Institution in Jayanagar. He completed his PUC from Vijaya College and earned his B.Sc. from Basavanagudi National College. He married Anita on March 13, 1986 at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. He has a son, Nikhil. He took oath of office at the Vidhana Soudha, the Karnataka Government headquarters.
He won the Kanakapura (Bangalore Rural District) Lok Sabha seat in 1996. He sought re-election from Kanakapura in 1998 and lost. He again contested unsuccessfully for Sathanur assembly seat in 1999. In 2004, he was elected to represent the Ramanagaram assembly segment.
He was never considered to be the political heir to his father. He started overshadowing his elder brother H. D. Revanna when he clinched the post of Working President of Janata Dal (Secular) party. He rose to prominence in the national media when he, along with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), engineered a defection in his own party, the Janata Dal (Secular). Forty-two MLAs of Janata Dal (Secular) under his leadership left to form the government.
On January 28, 2006, Karnataka Governor T. N. Chaturvedi invited him to form the government in the state after Dharam Singh resigned earlier in the day.
Kumaraswamy inaugurated the Suvarna Karnataka year-long celebrations marking the Rajyotsava after 50 years of Karnataka unification on November 1, 2006. The Hampi Utsav marks the celebration of culture of Karnataka was inaugurated by Kumaraswamy and Governor T. N. Chaturvedi .
On September 27 2007, Kumaraswamy said that he would leave office on October 3 as part of a power-sharing agreement between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP, despite the calls of some legislators for him to remain in office for the time being due to complications in arranging the transfer of power. However, on October 4, 2007, he refused to transfer power to BJP saying he will go to peoples court. Finally on October 8, 2007, he tendered his resignation to Governor Rameshwar Thakur and the state was put under President's rule. However, he reconciled later and decided to offer support to the BJP. BJP's B. S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on November 12, 2007. Initially as Chief Minister, he had won great moral support of people with his grama vasthavya(i.e., rural stay ) & led to sudden rise in his image. But with not standing to words he had given to masses & sanyasis, of 'Administration Power Transfer', & also, later simply not adhering to support BJP as per written letter given to the Governor, he attracted many of comments by oppositions, people & media, as 'Vachanabrasta', 'Vishwasadrohi' ( unreliable person ).
Later, on 19 December 2007, he underwent a heart operation to replace a damaged heart valve. He has been slow in his recovery and there are doubts whether he can lead the JD(S) in the next assembly elections.
